Safety closure and container package

Abstract

A safety closure and container package including an internally threaded closure cap and a container having a threaded neck. A retention flange is located on the container neck below the threads, having a gradually sloping upper surface and an abrupt, inwardly directed lower surface extending downwardly toward the neck at 45°-90°. A coacting inwardly projecting retention bead on the cap completes this child-resistant feature requiring considerably more force for removal of the closure than application. The safety package can also include a second container flange and cap bead located between the retention flange and bead and the threads to provide a non-backoff feature. The non-backoff flange has a gradually sloping upper surface and a gradually sloping inwardly directed surface extending downwardly toward the container neck at 15°-25°. The coacting inwardly projecting non-backoff bead on the cap will retain the cap in sealing contact with the container neck even during initial unthreading to provide a second safety feature. These safety features can be applied to a standard threaded package or to a dispensing package in which the closure includes a threaded cap having a dispensing orifice in its top and a lid hinged to the cap for closing of the orifice.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A child resistant threaded package comprising, in combination: a container having a threaded neck and an outwardly extending retention flange on said neck below said threads, said flange having an upwardly and inwardly directed surface extending from an apex into said neck and an abrupt inwardly directed lower surface, extending downwardly from said apex at an angle of 45° to 90° towards said neck; and a closure cap with an annular skirt having complementary threads for engaging said container threads and an inwardly projecting retention bead below said threads having a minimum diameter less than said container flange apex, said flange and bead being so spaced from said threads that as said cap is threaded onto said container neck, said cap retention bead is gradually expanded as it moves axially along said upper flange surface so that the smaller diameter bead snaps over the larger diameter flange apex and upon retrograde rotation of said cap in a opening direction, said bead will coact with said lower flange surface to resist removal, providing a child resistant feature requiring more force for removal than application. 
     
     
       2. The child resistant package of claim 1 wherein said lower flange surface extends inwardly towards said neck at approximately 90° thereto. 
     
     
       3. The child resistant package of claim 1 wherein said closure cap has a flat top and said container neck terminates in an annular lip and further comprising sealing means including a gasket between the top of said cap and said container lip, said gasket being compressed into sealing relationship therebetween after said cap retention bead snaps over said container flange apex by continuing rotation of said cap in a closing direction. 
     
     
       4. The child resistant package of claim 1 further comprising a non-backoff sealing connection between said container and cap including a non-backoff flange on said container neck located between said threads and said retention flange having an upper frusto-conical surface extending upwardly and inwardly from a maximum diameter plane towards said neck and a lower frustro conical surface extending inwardly and downwardly from said maximum diameter plane at an angle of less than 30° to said neck, and said cap skirt including an inwardly projecting non-backoff bead located between said threads and said retention bead, said non-backoff bead having a minimum diameter less than the maximum diameter of said non-backoff flange and being so spaced from said threads that as said cap is threaded onto said container, said cap non-backoff bead is gradually expanded as it moves axially along said upper frusto-conical surface so that the smaller diameter non-backoff bead snaps over the larger maximum non-backoff flange diameter and remains in contact with said lower frustro conical surface as the cap is tightened and as said cap is rotated in a retrograde opening direction to maintain said cap pulled downwardly in sealing contact with said container neck until said non-backoff bead snaps back over said maximum non-backoff flange diameter. 
     
     
       5. The child resistant package of claim 4 wherein said container neck terminates with a flat annular lip, and further comprising sealing means including a flexible annular flange depending downwardly from said cap to form an annular sealing fin for contact with said container lip. 
     
     
       6. The child resistant package of claim 4 wherein said closure cap has a flat top and said container neck terminates in an annular lip, and further comprising sealing means including a gasket between the top of said cap and said container lip, said gasket being compressed and maintained in sealing relationship therebetween upon snapping of said non-backoff bead over said maximum non-backoff flange diameter by the coaction of said non-backoff bead with said lower frusto-conical surface, maintaining said cap pulled downward on said container neck. 
     
     
       7. A child resistant, non-backoff threaded package, comprising, in combination: a container having a theaded neck, a non-backoff flange on said container neck below said threads, and an outwardly extending retention flange on said neck below said non-backoff flange, said non-backoff flange having an upper frusto conical surface extending upwardly and inwardly from a maximum diameter plane towards said neck and a frusto-conical surface extending inwardly and downwardly from said maximum diameter plane at an angle of less than 30° to said neck, and said retention flange having an upwardly and inwardly directed surface extending from an apex into said neck and an abrupt inwardly directed lower surface, extending downwardly from said apex at an angle of 45° to 90° towards said neck; and a closure cap with an annular skirt having complementary threads for engaging said container threads and an inwardly projecting non-backoff bead below said threads for engagement with said non-backoff container flange, and said skirt also having an inwardly projecting retention bead below said non-backoff bead; said non-backoff bead having a minimum diameter less than the maximum diameter of said non-backoff flange and being so spaced from said threads that as said cap is threaded onto said container said cap non-backoff bead is gradually expanded as it moves axially along said upper frusto-conical surface so that the smaller diameter non-backoff bead snaps over the larger maximum non-backoff flange diameter and remains in contact with said lower frusto-conical surface as the cap is tightened, said retention flange and said retention bead being so spaced from said threads that as said cap is threaded onto said container neck, said retention bead is gradually expanded as it moves axially along said upper flange surface so that the smaller diamter beads snaps over the larger diameter flange apex, and upon retrograde rotation of said cap in a removal direction, said retention bead will coact with said lower flange surface to resist removal providing a child resistant feature requiring more force for removal than application, and said non-backoff bead will coact with said lower frusto-conical surface to maintain said cap pulled downwardly in sealing contact with said container neck until said non-backoff bead snaps over said maximum non-backoff flange diameter.